Gasoline dispenser



Jan. 25, 1938. c. PLEUTHNER GASOLINE DISPENSER Filed June 26, 1936 3nnentor 43 Char/ea P/euffiner (Ittorneg Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GASOLINE DISPENSER Application June 26,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gasoline dispensers.

In the dispensing of gasoline it frequently ocours that the purchaser is deprived of a full measure because the attendant has failed to restore the registering instrumentality to a zero reading before measuring a new quantity. In the present invention I have provided an attachment which is organized with the control and registering elements of the dispenser in such manner as to prevent operation of the dispenser unless the registering instrumentalities are first set to a zero reading.

The invention is also devised with a view to simplicity and ease of installation, and thus it may be adapted to the numerous types of dispensers now in use. In dispensers utilizing registers of the price computing type, the present attachment is especially adaptable as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a dispenser with the major units therein shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the attachment with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of the mechanism of the attachment as seen in Fig. 3 and showing the latch disposal during operative and restored positions of the control arm respectively.

For illustrative purposes, the invention is shown organized with a gasoline dispenser of a well known type, which, through the medium of a motor driven pump It], causes the flow of gasoline through a meter II and thence to a dispensing hose l2. The meter H in turn operates the mechanism of a register l3 which may be of the well known price computing type. The operation of the dispenser is controlled by the positioning of a pivoted lever l4, one end of which is connected by a link l5 to a switch l6 which controls the operation of the pump motor IT. The remaining end of the lever protrudes through the casing l8 and it is suitably formed to provide a support or hanger for the nozzle IQ of the hose (Fig. 1), the weight of which is sufiicient to depress the lever and to cause the switch to be moved to its inoperative or off position. When the nozzle is removed, the lever l4 may be raised manually by the operator, thus throwing the switch to its operative position and causing the motor to operate the pump Ill.

At the end of a dispensing operation, the registering instrumentalities of the register l3 may be restored to a zero reading by a set-back mecha- 1936, Serial No. 87,393

nism which is manually operable by a crank 2i.

To insure the performance of the set back operation prior to a subsequent dispensing operation, I provide an attachment which automatically locks the control lever l4, and which is releasable only through the operation of the crank 2|. The attachment includes a housing 243 which is secured to the body of the register I3 in a position permitting the entry of the set-back shaft 21 in the bearing 28. A crank disc 29 is secured to the extremity of the shaft 27 and it is provided with a slot 3| and a pin 32 which is radially spaced from the slot. Vertical rails 33 are formed on opposing side Walls of the housing, and they slidably receive a latch plate 35. An angle 36 is secured to the rear face of the latch plate in a position where it may be engaged by the pin 32 of the disc 29, while the upper extremity of the plate is formed with a projecting flange 30. 20

A lever 38 is secured to a shaft 39, which is mounted between bearings 40 in the housing 28, and the end of this lever is connected to the inner end of the control lever M by a link 4!. A second or look lever 42 is also secured to the 2 shaft 39, and it is formed with an arm 43 on which a dog 44 is pivotally mounted by a stud 45. A spring 46 normally retains the dog in contact with a stop portion 41 formed on the arm 43. The lock lever 42 is formed with an angular ex- 0 tremity 48 containing a slot 49 which cooperates with the latch plate 35, as hereinafter described.

In Fig. 3 the instrumentalities of the attachment 25 are shown in a position corresponding to the condition of the dispenser elements of Fig. 1,--that is, the register I3 is set back to zero and the control lever I4 is depressed by the weight of the nozzle [9. The lever 42 is at this time positioned with its slot 49 directly under the latch plate 35, while the latch dog 44 thereof is in en- 40 gagement under the flange of the plate, and thus retains it in elevated position.

When the nozzle is removed from the control lever I4 and the latter element raised to its operative position, the lever 42 is swung to an angular position, as shown in Fig. 4, with its extremity entered in the slot 3| of the crank disc 29, and with the accompanying dog 44 removed from its supporting position for the latch plate 35. Thus, while the pump is in operation, the set-back shaft 21 cannot be manipulated, since its disc 28 is effectively locked by the lock lever 42.

Upon completion of a dispensing operation, the control lever I4 is again raised to render the pump inoperative, and simultaneously the lever 42 is restored to its vertical position. As shown in Fig. 5, upon this restoration, the latch plate, being free of the dog 44, gravitationally drops into the slot 49 of the lever 42. It will be obvious that further movement of the lever system terminating in the control lever i4 is now prevented, and thus a subsequent dispensing operation is not possible until the lever system of the attachment is restored to the position of Fig. 3.

To release the control lever M from the locked position of Fig. 5, the set-back crank M is operated to restore the register elements to a zero reading. During this operation, the crank disc 29 is simultaneously rotated and thus its crank pin 32 engages the angle 36 and raises the latch plate to a position where it is engaged by the dog 44, as shown in Fig. 3.

It is not intended that the invention be limited to the use of the mechanical elements herein utilized, as obviously the locking principle set forth may be attained in numerous manners by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dispenser having a motor driven pump, a meter driven register provided with a set-back mechanism, and a control lever for the pump movable from inoperative to an operative position, the combination of a lock member connected to said lever, a latch adapted to lock said member and accompanying lever in said inoperative position, a dog on said member for retaining said latch out of locking engagement therewith, said member being movable to release said dog from said latch when said lever is moved to an operative position, and being engaged by the released latch when restored to its initial position, and means operated by said set-back mechanism for moving said latch out of engagement with said member and into engagement with said dog.

2. In a dispenser having a motor driven pump, a meter driven register provided with a set-back mechanism, and a control lever for the pump movable from an inoperative to an operative position, the combination of a lock member connected to said lever, a latch adapted to lock said member and accompanying lever in said inoperative position, a dog on said member for retaining the latch out of locking engagement therewith, said member being operable to release its dog from the latch when moved to operative po sition and being engaged by the released latch when restored to its initial position, and a disc on the set-back mechanism having a portion adapted upon rotation of the disc to move said latch out of engagement with said member and into engagement with said dog.

3. In a dispenser having a motor driven pump, a meter driven register provided with a setback mechanism, and a control lever for controlling the operation of the pump, the combination of a lock member having a connection with said lever, a latch for locking the member when the lever is in an inoperative position, means for retaining said latch in an inoperative position, means operable by movement of the control lever for releasing said retaining means, a connection between said set-back mechanism and said latch for restoring the latch to its inoperative position, and a portion on said lock member adapted when the member is in locked position to engage said last connection and thereby prevent operation of the set-back mechanism.

4. In a fluid dispensing pump of the type having a motor driven pump, a flow register provided with a set back shaft, and a switch lever, means for locking the switch lever comprising a housing adapted to receive one end of the set back shaft, a disc mounted on said shaft within the housing, a vertically slidable latch mounted in said housing adjacent said disc, cooperating means on the disc and latch whereby rotation of the disc eifects the raising of the latch, a lock member disposed in the housing, said lock member being connected to said switch lever for movement therewith, means on the lock member for holding the latch in a raised position when the switch lever is in an inoperative position, and means on the lock member adapted to engage with said latch when said latch is in a lowered position.

5. In a fluid dispensing pump of the type having a motor driven pump, a flow register provided with a set back shaft, and a switch controlling lever, switch locking means comprising a housing, a disc rotatably mounted in the housing, said disc being rotatable by movement of the set back shaft, a longitudinally slidable latch, cooperating means on the disc and shaft for moving the latch to an inoperative position when the set back shaft is actuated, a lock member connected to the switch controlling lever and disposed in the housing, a dog on the lock member for holding the latch in inoperative position when the switch lever is in one position, means on said lock member interengaging with the latch when the latch is in operative position, and means on the lock member preventing rotation of said disc when the switch lever is in operative position.

6. Reset enforcing mechanism adapted for use in combination with a liquid dispenser of the type having a motor driven pump, a flow register having a reset mechanism, and a switch control lever adapted to move from operative to inoperative positions comprising a housing formed to receive a shaft adapted to be driven by said reset mechanism, a disc mounted on said shaft within the housing, a longitudinally slidable latch plate disposed in the housing adjacent the disc, cooperating means on the disc and latch for moving the latch to an inoperative position as the reset mechanism is actuated to restore the register to a zero reading condition, said disc being formed with a slot having a predetermined position in said housing when said register exhibits a zero reading, a lock member pivotally mounted in the housing, said lock member being connected to said switch lever, a yieldable dog on one end of the lock member, said dog being adapted to engage the latch and hold the same in inoperative position when the switch lever is in inoperative position, said lock member being formed with an extending portion adapted to enter said slot when the switch lever is moved to operative position, said lock member being further formed with a detent adapted to interengage with the latch when the switch lever is moved from operative to inoperative position.

CHARLES PLEU'I'HNER. 

